Attacked
by Miracle Jane
Summary: My name is Samantha Walker. My best friends are Bethany Hamilton and Alana Blanchard. And on October 31, 2003, I was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark just off Makua Beach. People think it's easy. I tell them it's not. My left arm is gone, and it's not coming back. But I want to surf again. People think it won't happen. I know it will.
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

**Chapter 1: Introduction**

My name is Samantha Walker. I am thirteen years old.

My passion is surfing. To me, there's nothing so perfect as riding down a wave, screaming your head off because you've never had to much fun in your entire life.

I have the best mom ever; Lauren Walker. She supports me. She's all I have. It may not sound like a lot, but she's amazing.

On July 2, 1990 the world was blessed. At least that's what my dad, Danny, used to say.

I live in Los Angeles, California. I couldn't ask for better.

My best friends are Bethany Hamilton and Alana Blanchard. They live in Hawaii. We don't care it's so far away.

I met Bethany and Alana in 2000, when my mom, dad, and I went on a summertime trip. I got hooked on surfing and decided to try my luck in a competition. Bethany got first, Alana got second, and I got fourth. We traded phone numbers and addresses. Then I went over to their houses and met Tom, Cheri, Noah, and Timothy Hamilton and Holt and Byron Blanchard. I was sad when I had to leave, but Cheri said I could go back in 2003. Mom couldn't, but she said I should. Then we left. I couldn't wait to go back to Kauai and see Bethany and Alana. To surf again; yes! Among other things. Life was looking perfect. I had gotten noticed by some people in the surfing world, and the surfing world thought I was good!

Ready?

Bring it on.


	2. Chapter 2

I couldn't wait to go back to Kauai! I let my suitcase rest by my feet as I looked at the bookshelf in front of me, resting my eyes on a leather-bound album. I knew the pictures by heart. I sighed. Stupid cancer, because it did more than take Dad from us; it ripped our family into two unfixable pieces. "Baby, are you ready?" I nodded, following my mom to the car.

At the airport, I did the normal airport things, gave my suitcase to the lady at the rack, and walked onto the giant metal bird.

Six hours later, I grabbed my suitcase from the luggage return and looked around for the Hamiltons, who were supposed to pick me up. I saw them at the same time they saw me, and we all waved. When I got to them, me and Bethany hugged, then I hugged Cheri and Tom, then I said 'hi' to Noah and Timmy, because I wasn't going to hug _them_. "Let's go, kiddo," said Tom, grabbing my suitcase and bringing it outside, where he loaded it into the trunk. "How was your flight?" asked Cheri. "Good." Their house was exactly as I remembered it. "Go upstairs and sleep, kiddo." Cheri said. Bethany's room was the same. She still had teal walls with a Hawaiian decor, and there was still a ukulele on her wooden dresser. "It's not much, but..."

I smiled. "I love it." Then she smiled. I changed into my pajamas, brushed my teeth, and lay down on the mattress that was going to serve as my bed for a few months. "Mom said she'll home school you with Alana and me. It works with our surfing schedule." I nodded. "That works." She climbed into bed, and I pulled a blanket over me. "Sam?"

"Yes Bethany?"

"I'm glad you're back." She turned off the lamp by her bed, plunging the room into darkness. "Me too, Bethany." I smiled. "Me too."

"Hey, do you want to catch some waves before service?" I nodded, reaching for my turquoise bikini that was in my suitcase. I changed in the bathroom and slipped my white sarong on over it. Bethany was already changed in her hot pink bikini and her white sarong. I swear she can get dressed in like five seconds. Then we ran downstairs and grabbed breakfast. Then we all got into the car and drove to the beach.

When we got there, Bethany and I grabbed our boards from the ski rack, dumped our bags in the bushes, and jumped into the surf. The water is flat, without the smallest chance of a wave. "The waves suck!" Bethany smiled, paddling away from me to another flat space. I followed her, hoping there was more than one wave. Bethany had 'the sense;' a skill that told you where the waves were. I didn't have it yet, but I think I would soon. There was just the one wave, but we both caught it and rode, laughing until we heard Noah's voice. "Sam, Bethany! Let's go; you're lagging!" We looked at each other in horror and paddled to the beach, where we ditched our boards, slipped on our sarongs, and rushed to the outdoor chapel, where they were singing Blessed Be Your Name. It was one of my favorites. We scooted into the row where the Hamiltons were. "Move over, Timmy," Bethany hissed. "Sorry, these seats are taken," he lied. We pushed past him, sitting down. "How were the waves?" Tom leaned across Timmy to ask. "Really fun," we both whispered. "Ready for the contest? Practice your snap off the lip?" We nodded. "No, but they're perfect on the wipeouts," Noah teased. "Shhh guys; we're in church," Cheri hissed. "They're going to do their mermaid thing and crush it like they always do."

I knew then that the conversation was over. We started singing. Pastor Sarah Hill was one of the singers. She caught my eye and smiled. I sang along with everyone else, but I kept glancing at the waves, where my mind really was.

Bethany was showing me a song on her ukulele. She was good; I'd never heard her play before. She kept looking out the window. We had pushed the curtains aside to let in some air. I leaned over to see what she was looking at. Bethany's window looked right out at the ocean, and there were two people surfing outside. It was Cheri and Tom.

Bethany ran into the kitchen, with me racing after her. "Darn it! Come on!" Noah started banging on the end of a small portable camera. Timmy was on the couch eating a spam sandwich. "Interesting technique, Noah. Is that how the professionals do it?" Bethany hit him with a pillow. I grabbed marker boards and expo markers. Noah noticed. "What are you doing?" Bethany turned to him. "To watch the competition," she said in a _well duh_ voice. He smiled, and they grabbed their own things and followed us outside.

Cheri was on a wave. Tom stole it, and she wiped out. Tom have us a three fingered wave, but then Cheri's board hit him, sending him tumbling into the water as well. I laughed. Then Cheri got up on another one and rocked it. It was a small wave. I gave her a 6. Bethany gave her a 6 as well. Noah gave her a 5.3, and Timmy gave her a 4. Then Tom went. Bethany gave him an 8. Noah gave him a 9. Timmy gave him a 10. I gave him a 5.6. "Somebody's on my side!" Cheri yelled. They talked for a second, then started paddling toward us. Getting onto the beach, they ditched their boards and threw sand at us!

Cheri spared me, but Tom showed me no mercy, throwing chunks at me. Then the judges (us) ran at them and started throwing sand! I laughed as Tom flipped me upside down and dumped me into an incoming splash.

I had a feeling I was in for a wild ride with the Hamiltons.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"In orange is Olivia Jenner, in black is Melana Birch, in blue is Bethany Hamilton, in yellow Kyla Tohanov, in white Livani Bride, in purple Samantha Walker and in pink is Alana Blanchard." The man over the intercom called as we all paddled out into the water.

"Hey, did you see that sick air thing Kioki just caught?" Alana asked Bethany as we sat in lineup watching the skateboard competition that was on the shore. "No, I don't think so," Bethany said, giving Alana an _I'm not stupid _look. "What?"

"You're not going to distract me," Bethany said. "I'm catching that wave." She started paddling toward a huge wave. I started looking for a wave and found one. I went and caught it; sending the judges clapping and Tom yelled my name over the cheering.

"Blue Bethany Hamilton, you are currently in first, purple Samantha Walker you are in second, black Melana Birch you are in third and pink Alana Blanchard, you are currently in fourth. Looks like we have a paddle battle; black and blue scratching for a solid wave, and there's Melana Birch taking the inside off Bethany Hamilton and here she is up and riding, and she picks things off with a very nice ride, strong curve off the top. The definitely knows what the judges are looking for. That will be a solid wave for black." They sounded the horn and we paddled to shore for a short break. Tom was walking towards us when we got out of the water.

"Melana full on stole my wave; I had position," Bethany said. "It's okay, you two listen to me; next time I really just want you guys to focus on diving under the water as far as you can and just rip that paddle back, okay? Alright take a rest. You two thirsty?"

"With five minutes remaining in this final, purple Samantha Walker, you are in first, black Melana Birch you are in second, blue Bethany Hamilton you are in third, and pink Alana Blanchard you are currently in fourth," the man over the intercom said. I was waiting for my wave patiently, but the water seemed flat. Then I saw Bethany riding a perfect wave. "Go Bethany!" She smiled and tipped into the water.

"Fourth place of the Turtle Bay Jr. Final goes to Alana Blanchard, third to Melana Birch, second to Samantha Walker, and that means that in first is Kauai's own Bethany Hamilton!" We smiled as people took our pictures, and I was amazed by the sheer number of people standing before me. When we jumped off the steps, we were rushed by Tom, Cheri, and Holt, who were grinning.

"There's a guy over there, from Rip Curl?" Tom said. "They want to sponsor the three of you?" I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Neither apparently had Alana or Bethany. "NO WAY!" We screamed and started jumping up and down.

"What about this one?" I laughed. The bikini top was red and wrinkled. "Nice, if you're a hundred!" I laughed. "How 'bout this?" Alana grabbed a top that pink and green; small. "Are you kidding? The thing looks like an eye patch!" Bethany said, pulling it away from Alana and holding it up. Alana grinned, grabbing it and holding it up to her eye. "Argggg!" We all burst out laughing. "I think it's hot."

"One wipeout in that thing and you're going to be showing a lot more than your sick rides," I said. Alana looked at the tab on the top. "Oh, so much for so little." We crowded around to look at it. "Well good thing it's on Rip Curl!" Bethany shrieked, and we all laughed and high-fived.

"Hey girls," the voice of Melana Birch filled my ears. We all turned to see her. "You realize I'm going to take you next time, right Hamilton?"

"Let's just let the surfing do the talking," Bethany said. "Every day between now and regionals when I'm in the water training, I'll be thinking of you, Hamilton." She was trying to get Bethany mad. "Creepy," I muttered, and Alana smiled. "Thanks, but I think you should stick to your training. It looks like you could use some focus," Bethany said. Melana cocked her head to one side and smirked. "I guess we'll find out." She started walking away. "Nice seeing you again!" Bethany called to her retreating back, and we all laughed.

"So, are you coming?" I sighed, looking at the mound of pillows on my mattress, Alana's sleeping bag, and Bethany's bed. "Does that really look like us?" Bethany practically pulled me out the window. "Come on, she won't even know we left..." We grabbed our boards and ran toward the car that was going to pick us up.

The full moon lit up the night and a campfire on the beach provided everyone with hot dogs and smores. I surfed a big wave with Alana and Bethany, and then we watched someone else surf. He was wearing a mask, but we knew who it was. He sprayed us and paddled toward us on his board. "Kioki!"

"How did you know it was me?" He pulled off his mask, revealing Kioki's face underneath. "Duh, you surf like a skater," I said. He laughed and pushed me off my board and into the water. I did the same thing I did on Bethany before service; pushing at the bottom of his board. He fell off, taking Alana and Bethany with him so we were all in the water. "Sam!" I laughed and climbed onto my board again, ignoring Alana's complaining.

The next morning, we all sat at the island. "Hi mom," said Bethany. "Girls!" Cheri turned to look at us. "I've got your English assignment all typed up. You can start immediately."

"I thought maybe we could get some time on the waves before we did school," Alana said. "What, because you didn't get enough last night?" We were found out. "I'm sorry, mom." Bethany said. "But we really wanted to try night surfing; I mean, even Noah's done it."

"Nice job," Alana said. "What makes you think you couldn't tell me?"

"Because they knew you'd say no," Tom butted in. "I wouldn't have said no!" Bethany sighed. "Would you have let us go?"

"No. Maybe. Let me think about it." Then a car horn beeped outside. "That'll be dad," Alana said. I looked at her. "Are you sure you can't come?" She shook her head. "I have that party. I can't miss it." I nodded, and me and Bethany ran outside, already dressed in our bikinis, and gripping our boards excitedly.

"What are we waiting for? Let's surf already!" We all jumped into the water; Bethany, Holt, Byron, and me. We started surfing, with all good waves and a few really great ones. Byron got up on a wave and fell off his board, which Bethany and I quickly noticed. "Fail!" We both yelled at the top of our lungs. Byron splashed a spurt of icy cold water at us. The water was crystal clear. About twenty minutes after we started, Byron yelled for Holt and told him he was cold and was going to the beach to dry off. He would watch us from the beach. Holt nodded and kept surfing. Byron paddled through the water, and we watched him until he reached the beach. He waved. We waved back. Holt was surfing about 60 yards away, where the waves were bigger. "Bethany, what time is it?" She handed me her blue Rip Curl watch, which I slipped over my left wrist. "It's waterproof." I nodded. It was 7:30 am. I was looking down into the water when something big and green passed by my board. "Turtle!" Bethany craned over to look. "I can't see... Turtle!" She pointed at the water in front of her board. She pointed out more than five more. I looked across the water at her; we were at least 20 feet away. She frowned. "There's something Dad told me about turtles, something about sharks," she scrunched up her eyebrows, thinking. "I remember now! Sharks! Tiger sharks eat turtles!" She looked at the water below her with new light. "There might be tiger sharks around here right now! We need to get out of here!" I laughed, and being the daredevil I am, dipped my left arm into the water right below me. "Bethany, you're being stupid. There are no stupid tiger sharks..." And then it happened.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Now, I've seen the t.v show. The one on Animal Planet where victims of shark attacks tell about what happened and how they survived it. You know the one. This was nothing like that.

A flash of gray and white, tons of pressure on my arm, a small tug-tug, and then the pressure lifted. Bethany screamed. Everything I was hearing was warped because I had a loud pounding in my ears. It took me a while to realize that was my heart. "HOLT! SHARK!" Holt was there in, like, five seconds. He told Bethany to get to the beach and tell Bryon to call 911. She nodded and started paddling. The crystal blue water was turning burgundy with the blood that was seeping out of a wound just beneath my shoulder. I didn't want to look over and see something horrible, so I concentrated on helping Holt get me to shore. He pushed on the back of my board and paddled with one arm as he was doing so. I helped him by paddling as well, but I soon got tired and rested my right arm on my board beneath my chin, half holding myself up. "Hang in there, Sam. We're getting there." Even that couldn't fool me. We were at least ten minutes from the shore, and I couldn't feel my left arm. Holt stopped me on my board, pulled off his surf shirt, and pushed it right on my shoulder. _No, _I wanted to tell him. _The wound is right below that. Right below the shoulder. About two inches. _But my mouth wouldn't work. Bethany was at least 100 yards away. She caught a small wave and rode it closer to the beach, where she got off her board and started running through the waist-deep water. I couldn't see Byron on the beach. He must have gone back to wait in the car. _Or maybe he saw us coming back with blood dripping out of me and ran to get the phone. _Bethany was at the beach, and we were almost there. "Please God, just get us to the beach. Just get us to the beach. Please."

"We're almost there, Samantha, just hold on!" We caught another small wave that brought us right over the reef. We started paddling harder, me paddling with only my right arm but not caring because we were almost to the beach. I could hear Bethany screaming for Byron to get a phone and him yelling that it was locked in the car. Then I heard something like glass break and they ran toward us. Byron was talking on the phone. "Yes, thirteen years old...Samantha Walker...we need an ambulance to Tunnels right away, it's really bad..." I still didn't look at my arm. Bethany helped Holt move me from my board to Holt's.

My board had a huge chunk missing, right beneath my left shoulder had I been on it. Holt ripped his ankle leash off his board and tied it tighter than the shirt around the top of my arm, an inch and a half beneath my shoulder. _Wrong place, again._ But my mouth still wouldn't work. "Byron, we can't wait for the ambulance. We have to meet them halfway." Byron nodded, helping Bethany and Holt lift the surfboard, with me on top of it, toward where the truck was. When we reached the vehicle, Byron dropped the back of the truck and then helped the others load me and the surfboard onto it. He was still on the phone. "Cheri, get to the hospital right now, whichever one's closest to Tunnels. Wilcox Memorial, probably. Cheri, it was a shark...no, not Bethany. She's fine. Cheri...it was Sam." Bethany and Byron stayed with me in the back while Holt got into the driver's seat and started driving. Byron was checking my pulse and trying to keep me awake, but it wasn't working very well. I blacked out.

I heard sirens and opened my eyes. Bethany and Byron were waving their hands wildly, trying to get the ambulance to stop. It did, and two paramedics lifted me, not the surfboard, out of the back of the truck and into the back of an ambulance. "Who are you guys?"

"Family friends. Holt and Byron Blanchard. Bethany Hamilton"

"Has she hit her head or lost consciousness?" Byron piped up. "She lost consciousness on the way over here, and she lost a lot of blood." The paramedic nodded. "Okay, you can follow us in the

One of the paramedics took a pressure reading on my arm. Then he shined a white light into my eye. "The hospital's not too far away. You're going to be okay. Look in my eyes. Don't look away."

"I want my mom." My voice was barely a whisper. He nodded. "Yeah, Cheri's going to be here soon, and..."

"I don't want Cheri. I want Lauren Walker," I croaked. His face was blank. "From Los Angeles?" I nodded. Then he leaned over to the drivers and started talking to them. "Smith, call Lauren Walker of Los Angeles, California. Area code 562..." He told the man my mom's cell phone. My vision was getting fuzzy again. My left shoulder was numb. I couldn't hear well, but I was able to hear loud beeping coming from somewhere above me. "She's going into hypovolemic shock!" The paramedic placed a oxygen mask over my mouth and nose. "Breathe deep," he said.

As we were getting ready to leave for the hospital, a paramedic leaned over to me and whispered "God will never leave you nor forsake you" in my ear.

I was surfing down the barrel of an amazing wave, with the sun shining at the end of it. My mind was completely blank, and I had a smile on my face. I was getting closer and closer to the sunlight... something thumped on my chest, hard. And again. Somebody called my name, but I couldn't tell who. I leaned over on my surfboard, into the water, into pain.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Surfer. I own Samantha and Lauren Walker. **

**Chapter 5**

I woke again in a hospital room. The oxygen mask was gone. I had an iv in my right arm and a clip thing on my pointer finger. The iv was hooked to a machine. There was a string of blond hair in my face, so I lifted my left arm to brush it away. The hair stayed there.

My hair forgotten, I moved my right arm over to my left side. My fingers brushed the covers where my wrist should have been. I forced away tears. I worked my way up the left side of my body until I felt something about an inch below my shoulder. It felt like a wad of bandages, but I could feel it when I touched it. It was my shoulder. I then realized why they had been pressing the surf shirt right there. That was the only place they could. That was where my arm ended. My mouth betrayed a strangled yelp, which Cheri heard. Her, Tom, Noah, and Timmy were sprawled on hospital chairs, with Bethany halfway onto my bed. Cheri walked over to the bed and hugged me. "I know. I know." I could have cried right then, but I didn't.

Tom, Noah, and Timmy woke up. Timmy's leg bumped Bethany's leg, which woke her up. "It hurts."

"Timmy, go get the doctor." Timmy nodded and walked out of the room. "I'm a little thirsty." Noah nodded. "I've got it." He also walked out of the room. Then the doctor walked in. "Here's my favorite patient."

"You say that to everybody." He smiled. "I mean it when I see you." His hand wavered over what was left of my left arm. "So I've heard you're experiencing some discomfort here?" I nodded. "...Yeah."

"Well unfortunately that's normal considering the amount of trauma you just endured. And not to mention the fact that you lost over 60% of your blood. You're going to be feeling pretty lousy for the next few days." Dr. Rovinsky explained it gently. "Now Sam, the list of things that you're going to have to learn differently is...extensive. But the list of things you won't be able to do...small."

He stood up, taking my hand and gently squeezing it. "You're going to be fine. I'm proud of you." He left the room. Then Noah came with the water. I drank it quickly. Then my stomach felt like it was going to explode. "Are you okay, sweetie?" I shook my head. "I'm gonna' be sick!" Tom grabbed the bucket and held it in front of me, holding my hair back with his free hand and giving me a napkin to wipe my mouth when I was done. Then he dumped my sick in the trash can and put the bucket back on the bedside table. "Feel better?" I nodded. "I'm sort of sleepy." Cheri smiled. "Don't stay awake for us, Sam. You can sleep." I nodded and was asleep as soon as my eyes closed.

I woke up and noticed Bethany was asleep on a hospital chair. She must have been there all night. She woke up and noticed me awake. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?" She smiled. "I wasn't going to leave you here. The others are here too, but they left for breakfast when I was asleep." I nodded. "Okay."

"Do you want anything to eat?" I shook my head. "No." Then Tom, Cheri, Noah, and Timmy walked into the room. Noah had a blueberry muffin clutched in his hand. They all saw me as soon as they walked through the door. "Hey, Sam. Want anything to eat?' I shook my head again. "Thanks for asking, though." Cheri smiled.

"Sam, Dr. Rovinsky told me that your wound is open, something about tiger sharks' mouths being nasty, but if there's no infection you can get it closed on Monday." I nodded, smiling. "That's great!" Tom nodded.

The water is dark and deep. A shape is right above, resting on the blue expanse. A turtle drifts by. An arm jerks swiftly into the water. A shark, light gray and opening a mouth filled with dagger-like teeth, soars through the sea, upward toward the arm, toward the figure connected to it.

I scream. Tom and Cheri are right there. Cheri hugs me. "It was just a dream. It was only a dream." I shook my head, tears springing to my eyes. "It wasn't a dream," I sob. "It was real."

My wound isn't infected. Dr. Ken Pierce performs the surgery to close it. He uses a flap of skin from my armpit. It's done in half an hour. When I come to, I'm groggy, and my stub is wrapped in new thick bandages. It felt like an eternity ago, but it was only my fourth day in the hospital.

Around noon my main nurse, Rebecca, walks in with a sack of letters and three small brown teddy bears with jean jackets that have my name sewed into them. All the letters are from Lincoln Elementary School in Grand Island, Nebraska. Probably a class project. I read the letters, but they have no real meaning to them; it's still too early for exciting fan mail about something I've done with this. So I read twenty-five letters that all say "Hope you're feeling better, Love _." Each letter had a little drawing of a rainbow or a circle of hearts at the bottom. Angie Douglass drew an angel. It was cute.

_Dear Sam,_

_I hope you're feeling better. And I hope you don't have to go back to California because then who would the people in Hawaii surf against?_

_Love Angie Douglass _

And then the picture. I lay back in bed and asked Cheri why people care so much. She looked around my hospital room. There were fifteen pots of flowers, six balloons, and five teddy bears. "You're special to them. Your story makes them care." That's nice and all, but I think we both know the real reason. People pity me. It's as simple as that. She just wants me to have a positive spin on things while people who visit me look at me like they feel bad for me. They want the old Samantha back, and who can blame them? Not me. Not anybody else who knows how I'm feeling right now either.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_A thirteen-year-old girl was attacked by a shark while surfing just off Makua Beach on October 31, 2003. Samantha Walker was resting on her surfboard at approximately 7:30 am when a shark swam up and bit off her arm! The girl didn't even scream. And her composure may have saved her life..._

I groaned, changing the channel. I was getting tired of hearing my name on television.

_...The girl was transported to Wilcox Memorial Hospital, where she was stitched up and revived. Her orthopedic surgeon Dr. Rovinsky commented; "She is lucky to be alive. She lost a lot of blood in the attack and most of her left arm. We still don't know as much as we would like at this point." There is not yet an idea of the exact date of her release..._

I turned the t.v off. "You're practically on every channel."

"Alana!" She sat down on the bed. She kept looking at my stump. I swung my legs over the bed so she was sitting on my right side. "How have you been?" She shrugged, and her hands were suddenly very interesting. "I've been at home. I saw the report on the news, and then Dad told me how bad it was." I looked right at her. "So how have you been?" She looked right into my eyes. "I thought you were going to die out there." Tears were in her eyes. I hugged her, which was awkward, but we lived with it. "It's okay. I'm okay."

"I know."

"So what have you been up to?" She shrugged. "Not much, really." I nodded. "You?" I smiled. "Ticking the nurses off by ringing the buzzer and pretending to be asleep-" She laughed at the thought of me doing something like that. "- and enjoying Happy Hour." She frowned. "Happy Hour?" I nodded. "That's when they give me my cocktail of painkillers and antibiotics. I'm so high I can see Neil Armstrong's flag on the moon. Then I wake up and I'm a pain." She laughed again. I smiled. "It's November already."

"Yeah."

"This is my second day in the hospital."

"Third if you count Friday." I nodded. "Right yeah; Friday." I frowned. "Dad says 'hi.'" I nodded. "Tell him I said 'hi' too." She smiled. "I will." I gave her a hug. As she wrapped her arms around me, I knew what she was thinking. "It's not your fault." She pulled away from me. "If I wouldn't have had that party, I would have gone. We might have looked like too much." I shook my head. "Me and Bethany weren't even a meter away from each other. The shark didn't care." I gasped as I remembered. "What?"

"The shark ate Bethany's watch!"

"The Rip Curl one?" I nodded. She laughed. Then she stood up. "I'd better go." I nodded, kind of disappointed. "Right." Then I heard Tom's voice. "She's with Alana right now..."

"How bad is it? How bad is the bite?" That was my mom's voice. Tom's voice was suddenly very low. "You mean you didn't know?"

"Know what?" Alana hadn't moved. She was still standing by my bed, waiting with me for Tom to answer. "Lauren, her whole arm..." The door banged open and my mom stood in the doorway. She gasped. I could see tears in her eyes. "I'm really leaving now." Alana walked out the door. I didn't move. Then I started to get up. My mom closed the distance between us, taking in the iv, the monitors, and then the arm. "Mom, it's okay." She sat on my bed. I lay back on the pillows. "I'm fine." She shook her head. "You don't have to be brave for me, baby." I nodded. "Okay." She gave me a hug. It was awkward. Then my main nurse, Lilly, walked in with a large stack of white envelopes and three small white bears with pink hearts in their hands. She placed the bears by the others on the windowsill and hands me the envelopes. Tubes spiral around my bed. Some of them enter my body. The pain medication leaves me floating, but not high enough to shut out the Pity Bears. That's what they are; the teddy bears strangers send me. And the flowers. The smell is suffocating. I asked Bethany to deliver them to the other patients. She hands out the bears to little kids in the hallways.

_Dear Samantha,_

_ I saw the news report. Mom says you lost your arm. My cousin lost her arm, but it wasn't a shark; it was cancer. The doctors cut it off. My cousin got a fake arm. She can play at the park with all her friends like she used to, and she's on the soccer team. She loves her new arm, and she's happy because her body felt better after her arm was gone. I want you to know that losing an arm isn't the end of the world, even if you can't surf. There's plenty of things on this earth to do besides surfing._

_Love,__  
><em>Margaret Baker from Florida<em>_

"She pretty much said she thought I was never going to surf again." Mom read the letter over my shoulder and frowned. "Don't listen to her." I looked up at her. "Are we going back to California after recovery?" She shook her head. "No. Cheri said we can stay with them until I can buy a house in Kauai." I smiled. "Really? Why?" She smiled. "I love you. And Cheri said you, Bethany, and Alana have been inseparable since you arrived." I laughed. "Pretty much, yeah." She smiled, and Bethany walked into the room. "Hey."

"Hi!" She noticed my mom just then. "Hi Ms. Walker."

"Call me Lauren." She smiled. "Okay." I turned to mom. "Dr. Rovinsky is closing up my wound today, and I might be able to go home on Tuesday if there's no infection."

"Yay! Honey, I am so proud of you!" Bethany grinned. "You're proud of her now? You should have seen her as we were paddling to the beach!"

"Bethany..." She shook her head. "She wasn't crying, screaming, nothing. I screamed and cried! She was just praying. She even helped us paddle to the beach. She was calm the whole time!" Mom hugged me again. "Baby, that's wonderful!" I nodded. "Yeah." Then I remembered something. "Bethany, your watch!"

"What watch?" Bethany laughed at the puzzled expression on Mom's face, and at the guilty one on mine. "Sam was wearing my watch when the shark attacked. It probably ate it." Mom laughed too. "I don't care, Sam. I can buy another watch." Then I laughed. "Yeah, okay." Mom hugged me again. I was going to be squeezed to death! "I'm glad you're okay." I nodded. "Me too."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"My house looks like an indoor garden." I smiled. Cheri was driving me from the hospital. Then I saw surfboards painted to spell out WELCOME HOME SAMANTHA WE LOVE YOU! "That's so cool! Who did that?" Cheri smiled. "Everyone."

"We tried to get them to stop and write our names on a surfboard, but they wouldn't do it." I threw a newspaper at Timmy. "I wonder why." We got to the Hamilton house. There were reporters and cameras on every square inch of the front yard! When we pulled in, they swarmed us. Cheri hid my stub with a towel and rolled up the windows, but they still took pictures. I wished the front windows were tinted. Then Noah and Tom were there. Tom jumped into the car and Noah made sure nobody was going to get run over. The car lurched forward and drove into the backyard, flattening the bushes at the side of the house. "Wow, good job." I followed Timmy and Noah up into the back door and Tom and Cheri followed me. I walked to the window, where Bethany was peeking out. When the people on the lawn saw me, the cameras started clicking. Bethany closed the blinds. "I wish they would just go away," I said, throwing down the beach towel onto the couch and plopping down onto it myself. "I know. They've been here since Saturday." I sighed. Mom sat at my feet, rubbing my shins.

"Don't worry about it. Go set your stuff in Bethany's room." I nodded, grabbing the heavy suitcase and rolling it to her room. I set it down beside my other one and started unpacking my stuff, leaving the clothes and other stuff I wouldn't need right away. I smiled. I lived here now. Then I looked at the bandaged glob where my arm should begin but it really ended. I sat down on my mattress. I was already sick of this. Being a news report was tiring. "Sam, dinner!" I sighed and stood up.

We were having chicken. We sat at the table, and everyone took hands. Bethany took my right one, and Noah placed his hand on the table. Everyone looked at me, like they were wondering what I was thinking. I let go of Bethany's hand, moving Noah's hand to my shoulder. He smiled, but it was forced. Then I took Bethany's hand again. Tom prayed and we ate.

I lay in bed that night, wondering why I felt my arm again. I felt like it was still there; twisted, bent, cramped, aching. Hurting. Forever. Bethany wasn't asleep, so I wouldn't cry. She was waiting for my deep breathing; breathing I could only have if I was truly asleep. She hadn't heard it yet. I hadn't heard hers. Tears fell down my cheeks, but nobody would be able to hear them. "Sam, are you okay?" She'd heard me. I tried to wipe my eyes, but she rolled over in bed to look at me. "I'm fine."

"What's wrong?" I sighed. "I'm okay, really."

The next day I got more letters. My favorite;

_Dear Samantha,_

_I wanted to write you a letter, but I didn't know what to write. I know you don't want to talk about any of this, and that you probably don't want any more junk mail, but I want to tell you I admire you. You're getting back on that board; on those waves. No questions asked. I'm sure of it. It's not easy, I know that. But if anyone can do it it's you._

_Love,  
>Shaylee Harper from Oregon<em>

At least she thought I had a chance. She was confident in me. I need more letters from people like her.

The next day I went to the hospital to get the wrapping on my stub. I squeezed Mom's hand the whole time as Dr. Rovinsky removed the mass of bandages. "Oh great. It's healing wonderfully." Then a nurse walked in and requested the doctor. He walked out of the room with her. Hesitantly, I walked to the mirror that took up half the wall. My arm was wrinkled and held together with long black stitches. "I look like Frankenstein's monster." My mom walked up to me. I stifled a sob. No more crying. I nodded, determined. "It's okay. Okay? It's okay."

I was so sick of being a news celebrity. The balloons, flowers, and Pity Bears kept coming. There were way too many. I needed some way to get rid of all of them beside throwing the letters and flowers away. I started giving bears to Timmy and Noah so they could deliver them at school. I still had way too many. "People love you. Show some gratitude." Mom was fed up with my complaining. I knew why people really did it. Anybody who has watched the news in the past week or so wanted to do something for that poor girl. Shark Girl. Me.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The next morning, I walked into the living room and Tom was in the room, watching the television set. He looked tired. My surfboard, the one with the hole in it, was propped up by the front door. "What's that doing there?" He shrugged. "I needed to use it for something." I looked at the t.v. There was a shark held up by a crane. I listened to the reporter.

_"Thursday November 13, 2003, a tiger shark was hauled up to shore by Bill Hamilton and Ralph Young, veteran surfers and fishermen. The 13-foot 6-inch shark is believed to be the animal that is responsible for the attack on North Shore surfer Samantha Walker. A distinguishing feature of the shark remarked about in the reports was a ragged dorsal fin. They used a four foot gray nurse shark as bait, tying it up on an oversize hook on a line attached to three buoys anchored about 50 feet south of the "Bowl" surf break at Hanalei Bay, about a quarter-mile outside the Hanalei Pier. Hamilton said their motive was to protect surfers, fishermen, and beachgoers on the North Shore. "I saw Tom Hamilton (a family friend of Samantha Walker) and he said he's against any kind of fishing that's going to kill the population of sharks at Hanalei, but he said "it would make my year if we could take the shark that attacked Sam." Hamilton said their system of buoys they rigged was buoyant enough to hold the dead 1500-1800 pound tiger shark. The wide-bellied tiger shark had a 14-inch high dorsal fin that was 18 inches wide at the base. The bottom 'smile' of the shark's mouth was 18 inches across from the tips of its mouth, and its teeth were about one and one-half inches apart. Its girth-the height of one side of its body- was about 23 inches._

I didn't want to hear anymore. Tom shut off the television. "Did its mouth fit my board?" When Tom spoke it was barely a whisper. "It was a perfect fit." I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Mom rushed into the room, giving me a hug. I heard her mouth opening and closing and I figured she and Tom were fighting via mouthing words. "Baby, I'm so sorry." I sniffled, trying to wipe my eyes, but my arm was stuck under my mother's body. She felt me trying to release it and shifted to I could. "I'm fine now." She nodded. Tom looked at me. "I'm sorry, Sam."

"It's okay." I looked at him. "Did you want to be the one to kill it?" He shook his head. "I wanted to be the one to make it into sushi and feed it to you." I laughed. "I hate sushi!"

"Then you could have thrown it in the garbage can." I smiled. "Thanks, Tom." He nodded. "Right."

Again, too many people watch the news. I got tons of letters. One of them;

_Dear Samantha,_

_How about that shark, right? 13 feet and 6 inches! Isn't that creepy? It is to me, and I'm not the one they're saying it attacked. Is it the one that attacked you? It seems like it is. Did you see the fin out of the water? Did you see the shark at all? Do you hate sharks now? I love sharks, but that's just me. A ragged dorsal fin...that kind of sounds like my brother Mark. :) Is Bill Hamilton related to Tom Hamilton? 14 inch high dorsal fin! 18 inches wide at the base! It's girth was 23 inches! Does that not scare you?_

_Sincerely,_

_Robbie Weekly from New York City_

Too many questions. Too many shark related facts and questions. I thought I already covered this. I didn't see the shark. Only movies like _Jaws _have the fin out of the water; it almost never happens in real life. I don't hate sharks, but I can't say why yet. No, Bill Hamilton and Tom aren't related. No, it doesn't scare me. Listen to me sometimes. It helps. A lot.

On the morning of November 26, I picked oranges off the floor, blew on them, and walked out to where the Hamiltons and Mom were waiting. "You do know Thanksgiving is tomorrow, right?" I nodded. "That's why it's the perfect time."

"To do what?" Tom asked. "To get back in the water."

"This won't be easy." Tom stood next to a line of boards; longest to shortest. There were six boards. I could do it. Noah and Timmy were at the video camera. "I don't need easy; I just need possible." Tom walked toward me, grinning. "With you, anything's possible. Let's do it." I grinned.

The first board was big and heavy. I ran into the surf. As I rode, I walked up and down the board, smiling. I didn't wipeout, so I tried the next board. It was slightly smaller and it was yellow. I didn't wipeout that time either. The third one was slightly smaller. I leaned back slightly, and that was all it took; I wiped out.

I fixed it, leaning forwards. I didn't wipe out. The fourth one I scaled the curve, but then I tipped backwards again. I fixed it, leaning forward while I rode. The fifth was smaller still. It took all my hardest work, but I didn't wipe out.

The sixth board was small and green. I rushed into the waves and got up on a big one. I snapped off the top, rode down the wave, and shook the salt water from my eyes. Then I cheered, and everyone else cheered with me. On the shore, I hugged Mom and Cheri. Then Bethany and Tom. Then Timmy and Noah hugged me, so I decided to let them. I was ready.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

As we were sitting at the dinner table the next day, Tom made an announcement. "Holt got a call from that show; Inside Edition. They want to give Sam a prosthetic arm-" Cheri tried to butt in. "When did you talk to a t.v show..."

"-They're going to pay for the whole thing, and it'll be custom made." I looked at him. "Will it look real?" He shrugged. "I would guess so." A smile appeared on my face. "That's great. Can they make one I can surf with?"

"What does she have to do?" I looked at my mom. It was the first time she had said anything. "All she has to do is give a brief interview, wearing the arm." Mom turned to me. "You don't have to do this."

"No. I want to." I nodded. "Yeah. Yeah; I'll do it." Mom looked at me. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm sure."

That arm could not come soon enough, because trying to make do with one is even harder than it sounds. I mean, doing your hair isn't exactly rocket science, unless you've only got one arm. Everything was a challenge.

And then it finally came; the day when the arm came. The man took it out of the case. It's an arm, with "skin" that looks soft and smooth. There's "hair" on the "skin", half-mooned 'fingernails', and wrinkles around the 'knuckles'. Man, the labor involved in painting a freckle, an age spot on a silicone glove, the money spent on artists to do such things makes my stomach hurt just thinking about it. "Wow. It's almost freaky how real it looks." He nodded and helped me get it on. The straps made me feel like an idiot. "Let's see how it works on my board." I walked to the table where my board was and tried to push off it, but the man stopped me. "It's not weight bearing."

"Then how am I supposed to use it to surf?"

"Honey, if you could just try it..." Mom said.

"I mean look at it! How am I supposed to walk around let alone surf with this thing?" The man shook his head. "Well, because the remainder of your arm is so short..." he prattled on. I fought back tears as I stood there, feeling like a zoo animal, in a stupid thing that didn't even feel right, let alone look convincing. "Can I have it off, please?" I said quietly. The man kept prattling. My mom interjected. "Hey, she said she wanted it off..." Ginger as Bethany calls her, pulled off the stupid plastic arm herself and started messing with it. "Ginger! Bad dog, Ginger! Drop it! Drop it!" I ran into the house and right to Bethany's room.

I sighed, looking at my barbie. She was wearing a pretty purple bikini and had blond hair like me. I held her between my knees. I ripped her left arm off. A little white splotch stuck out from her plastic torso. "I like her better that way." It was mom. I sighed.

"I thought..." I gulped. I cleared my throat. "I thought at least with clothes on, I could have two arms." Mom nodded. "That I could look normal." Mom sat on the edge of the mattress. "Normal is so overrated."

"But people like normal, Mom."

"Who?"

"Guys do." She tilted her head, taking in a deep breath of air. "I mean who will even like me, with this?" I tilted my head slightly to my stub. "The right guy will love you exactly the way you are" I closed my eyes, turning my head to the side, away from her. "Because you're beautiful."

"How do you know?" She shook her head. "Because I know." I sighed again. "Moms have this...vibe. Believe me. I know." I groaned. "Okay. I suppose you're right."

She smiled. "Of course. I'm always right." I shook my head. "Almost."

"Sam, the judges are giving you a 5-minute head start." I shake my head at Alana. "I don't need it."

"Are you sure?" Bethany asked. I nodded. "I'm sure." The horn blows and we paddle out. I paddle up to the big wave. The water's warm. It takes me longer than it usually does for me to paddle to the wave, but I get there. Melena cut me off! I tumble into the wave and watch as Melena rides my perfect wave. A man on a water rider offers me help. I refuse it. I try again. I am dumped in again and again by big waves. I try again. I tip over. My board breaks in half. The man in the rider pulls me to shore. I groan. It's over.

"And Alana Blanchard in third, Bethany Hamilton in second, and Melana Birch in first!" I look at my name on the scoreboard. Samantha Walker: 6th. I sigh.

As we walk down to the car, four little girls come running up to me, pen and paper in hand. "Can we have your autograph?" They ask in unison. "You know, I have something even better than that." I ignore Tom, Mom, and Cheri's stares and open the back of the truck. I pull out four of my big boards. I sign my name on them with the pen and hand one each to the girls. "Wow, thanks!" They run off with their new prizes. Tom walks over to me. "You didn't have to do that." I look at him, a look of fierce anger in my eyes. "I'm done, okay? It's over." I climb into the back seat between Bethany and the door.

I watched as Mom walks up to Tom outside. He was making a board. I can hear them from Bethany's room. "She's a surfer. She's a competitor." The wind makes their hair fly. Mom shakes her head. "She's more than that."

"Lauren, if she walks away from this, if she quits, she may never get my back in the water again and she will never be the same."

"She will NEVER be the same! And if she thinks the only life for her out there is surfing and she can't make that happen then she is going to be lost; really, really lost." I could almost see her desperation. I watch it and feel a single tear slide down my cheek.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"What's all this?" Noah and Timmy look up from the mountains of envelopes on the table in front of them. "Just a little fan mail. We're sorting it by country." Timmy holds up a gigantic pile held together with a thick strong. "Apparently you are huge in New Zealand." I smile. "Oh my gosh!"

"There's this boy, Ryan, who lost his arm in a car crash and he's trying out for his school soccer team because of me. And he's rooting for me in my next competition." I throw the letter down on the table in front of me. "Why do people care so much?" Mom shrugs. "They just do." I sigh and look out at a wave crashing outside.

"I need help." Tom looked at me. "With what?" I sighed. "I need something to help with my board; something so I don't get wiped out when I duck dive." He smiled, reaching to a rack above him in the small shack area. Then he brought down a board. "Something like this?" The board had a handle. "Perfect."

I practiced duck diving, with Alana helping me to make sure I did it right. Then I had Bethany hold my feet while I did sit-ups and Tom helped me do push-ups. I did pull-ups off a tree branch and practiced balancing on a board held up by rocks while Noah and Timmy threw mangoes at me! Tom helped me paddle faster and stronger, and Timmy helped me run with a backpack of rocks on the beach! After a long two weeks, I was ready for the Junior Nationals.

_Dear Samantha Walker,_

_I'm writing because my English teacher is making us do a nonfiction report. We have to interview someone about something and write a report about it like a newspaper column. Will you interview with me? You could e-mail or call me, or maybe just fill out these questions on a separate sheet of paper and send it to me. My phone number, e-mail address, and address are on the back of the sheet. _

_1. What happened when the shark attacked you? Were you scared? What were you thinking?_

_2. When did you find out about your arm? What did you do?_

_3. Are you going to get a fake arm?_

_4. Do you hate sharks now? Do you think you'll ever surf again?_

_5. What kind of things did you do before you lost your arm?_

_6. Do you think you'll still do most of those things or not? Which ones will you not do?_

_7. Do you have any advice for surfing? On how to protect people from sharks?_

_Thanks for helping me,_

_Blake Winston from Texas_

"The waves are big out there and if you try to paddle to every single one you're just going to tire yourself out. Wait for the perfect few." I nodded. "The best surfers, they've got this sixth sense. They know where the best waves are. They can feel it. You have that."

"I do?" Tom nodded. "You do." I smiled.

"Hey, thanks for not going easy on me!" Melena's face is totally blank. "What?" I smiled. "You've always treated me like just more competition. Thanks." She shrugged it off and paddled to a big wave.

I needed two 9.5 waves to beat Melena. My first wave was huge and I score a 9.7. The waves died down. The judges started counting down. I had less than a minute! I paddled to a flat area and wait patiently.

"What are you doing?" Alana called. "And Samantha Walker is going farther than the waves have ever been before! That area is totally flat! What is she doing?" I ignored the man at the intercom, scanning my hand over the waves, waiting.

Then a huge wave appeared. The biggest wave of the day! I had only a few seconds! I paddled quickly! It's mine! I have less than 5 seconds. The horn blew at the same time I stood up. An amazing wave!

"They say it didn't count!" Tom yelled to me. "It didn't count!" I shrugged. "It's okay."

"But they didn't count it. It didn't count." I shook my head. "It counted. It totally counted."

I place fifth. Then Melena grabs her trophy and starts to talk. "I'm dedicating this win to Samantha Walker, because even if the judges didn't catch that last wave, I definitely did." She gestured to me and I stood up at first place with her and we both held up the trophy!

_Dear Blake Winston,_

_1. The shark just bit off my arm. No, I wasn't scared. __Get to the beach, get to the beach. _

_2. I found out about my arm at the hospital. I hugged Cheri, Bethany Hamilton's mom._

_3. No. I tried one on and it sucked. _

_4. I don't hate sharks. They're cool animals. I don't blame them for what happened to me. I'm already surfing again. I don't think I want to surf at Tunnels again, though. _

_5. Surfed, surfed, surfed. _

_6. I am already surfing again. _

_7. Swim with a buddy, and don't wear flashy jewelry, because it attracts sharks. Don't splash around or look like food. Don't stick your arm in the water when you see turtles, and listen to your friends when they tell you to get out of there. (I learned most of those the hard way.)_

_Glad I could help, and I hope you get an A on your report._

_Sincerely,  
>Samantha Walker<em>

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

**-**Jeremiah 29:11

**AN: Yeah, so this was my Soul Surfer fanfiction. I know it was very, very similar to the movie, but I had major writer's block on Innocence and needed to write something! And it worked! You can follow, favorite, or review if you'd like, but I'm not going to order you to. And please read **

**-A Pirate's Life for me? **

**-Innocence**

**as it really helps. A lot. :) Thanks for reading and loving it. Bye! ;P **


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